You're the Worst 3.9: "The Seventh Layer"

Chris: Well, this could’ve been worse. This could’ve been a Becca episode. Seriously, I never would’ve thought You’re the Worst would do a Paul and Vernon episode and that I would actually like it. I really sympathized with these two men, both chose to marry these really messed up sisters and has worn both men down to the bone. Paul was one broken car away from breaking down himself and Vernon is actively trying to find a way to run to a different country. I think the fact that they were introduced as such ancillary characters is why I never really made the connection that they were in-laws and know each other very well. I think that’s why Vernon chose to cause a breakdown in the woods with Paul because he knew Paul would understand his torment. Although it didn’t happen just yet, I fully expect Vernon to either lose his cool or finally run away to Mexico before the show is over. Perhaps Paul will go with him. I’m cheering for both guys.

Alexa: I would love to see the show use Paul and Vernon more, but I didn’t necessarily need an entire bottle episode with just the two of them. It was an unexpected detour from the rest of the season that had its moments and also dragged at times. Despite Vernon being his typical obnoxious self for much of the episode, this installment does humanize both characters. It’s easy to look at both Vernon and Paul in broad strokes and pigeonhole them into caricatures, but being married to such horrible women has to take its toll on them. They unload their doubts and insecurities in a sympathetic yet comedic way. That character growth could only happen between the two of them, because they’re the only ones who really understand what it’s like being married to the Cottumaccio sisters. I don’t see either marriage lasting, but we do at least get a glimmer of hope that Vernon will ultimately put his child’s needs above his own selfishness. Though he still indicates he might flee to Mexico later, his reaction to the bassinet being stolen tells me his protective fatherly instincts are already starting to kick in.

Joel: I think that this episode may have been trying to capture some of the impact that the “LCD Soundsystem” episode had in the previous season. Like that episode, this one focuses on a sidestory, this time not including any of the four main characters in any way. While not nearly as resonating as the “side story” episode from the previous season, this one leaned way more into the comedy of these to characters and, if you’ll remember, this technically is still a comedy show.

Paul and Vernon are probably the two recurring characters on the show that are more parodies of people than real people themselves. This episode ends up both working to humanize the characters a bit and at the same time take backwards steps that further cement these characters in the role of side joke storyline. For example, we get to explore both Paul and Vernon as people who are unhappily trapped in their lives. These two are probably the best examples of characters who are constantly suffering due to the actions of terrible people around them, perhaps because they are both married to the most outlandishly terrible people on the show. While it’s often a joke that these characters are perpetually suffering in the show, we do get some time with these characters to see that being the butt of the joke at every turn can be a hard thing to do, and it’s a position that can leave its scars. Of course, as touching and humanizing as the conversations between these two is, the show can’t let a moment pass without humiliating these characters leading to this humanizing moment conclude in the oafishly over the top bit with the fire.

I a little bit wish that the episode had resulted in the two characters (or at least Vernon) running away to Mexico. It feels like the journey of this episode was leading to something, only to ultimately have the characters driving home headed back into their roles as the punching bags. I know that there’s plenty of time for one or both of the characters to act on the seeds planted in this episode, but for a show that is usually really good about always continuing to move the plot forward, the end of this episode felt like a deliberate return to the status quo.